Back At Work

Back at work

►— pairings. genshin men x gn! creator! reader

►— warnings. mentions of stalking/a stalker, nothing that i know of? not proof read please dm me if i misgendered reader/any mistakes.

►— synopsis. albedo created a machine where it would bring back their creator, who was stuck in another world, back to where they belong. but instead of bringing you here to them, it brought them to where you were.

►— a/n. !!! i hope you guys enjoy this!! i've been getting LOADS of ideas lately and every time i complete a chapter i get so excited because i can finally start jotting down everything i want to happen in THAT chapter so yay!! it's like a lil reward to me. and once again i apologize for like.. procrastinating and leaving this chapter be, I PROMISE YOU AFTER I HAD FINISHED THIS CHAPTER MY ASS STARTED TO WRITE CHAPTER SIX ALREADY.

►— wordcount. 4.8k

✧ part one | ✧ part two | ✧ part three | ✧ part four | ✧ part five | more tba.. NAVIGATION

recommended to listen to: snooze- sza

Today was the first day you would be going back to work. Normally, you wouldn't be nervous at all, it was just like every other work day—waking up at 5 am, doing your morning routine, getting dressed, eating something light for breakfast before leaving your house to go to work.

Most people would groan everyday about work, complaining that it was too "hard" and that they barely got to "rest" which IS a big problem but not for you! You worked at a bakery, it was very calming and peaceful job and plus, you could bring home a few baked goods (as the owners were just a lovely old couple who were really kind).

The problem is, you weren't so sure if you could trust the 24 men – that now somewhat lived with you– all alone in your home. I mean yes, there were a couple men you could trust to be in charge of making sure nothing happened (Albedo, Dainsleif, Al-haitham, Zhongli, Baizhu, Neuvillette, Wriothesley and Pierro.. surprisingly).

So today is a day where you would have to just see if everything will turn out fine, and even though Childe told you not to worry and that everything will be fine... his very not obvious cheeky grin was not going to be fooling you or anyone.

You literally woke up, got ready for work and ate the breakfast Thoma made for you, all the while anxious. Obviously you have somewhat trust with the men, you did not want to upset them in any way if you outright just told them "erm i actually do NOT trust you at all staying in my home without me so!!!".

So of course you said nothing and kept a nervous smile on your face. Everything was going to be okay... Nothing was going to happen to anyone or anything.. Well that's what you thought until you came home at around 6:30 pm.

Lets rewind a bit.

"Ughhhhhh do you really have to go though? Like... You can just stay here.."

"For the whole day?"

"Well-" "and not get any money?" "...."

Gorou frowns, clearly upset about the fact that you were going to leave for work after being with them for four whole days (it's a lot to him apparently) and even after desperately trying to persuade you to stay, you were very adamant about going to work.

Ayato lets out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, placing his hand on Gorou's shoulder. "Leave it be, Gorou... Work is very important after all." Ayato explains, backing you up.

You smiled softly as you slipped your shoes on, making sure that you had everything in your bag before quickly sending a text to the owners of the shop.

"I'll be there soon! ❤️"

Tucking your phone back into your bag, your hands rest on the doorknob as you opened the door slightly, body just halfway through the door, your eyes scanned the scene before you (making sure that everything was in its place so you'd know if anything was broken and or moved later on).

Thoma was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes, and dare you say he looked delicious. (... not literally) His sleeves were rolled up as he wore your rubber gloves on his hands, not only that but he also wore a pink and white polka dot apron. He looked like the definition of 'Male-wife'.

Ayato and Gorou standing in front of you to the side, going back and fourth about how he (Gorou) should let you go to work and how (Ayato) should just let him grab a hold of your legs and prevent you from going to work.

The rest of the men were either sitting on the couch or leaning on the couch watching you watch Ayato and Gorou bicker. As your grave wavers off to the other men your eyes landed on Heizou, that cheeky man.

A smirk appears on Heizou's lips as he caught your eye. "Missing me already?" Heizou flirted, winking at you so... flirtatiously. Your cheeks began to flush up at his actions, you clear your throat and looked away.

"Absolutely not. I'll be going to work now alright? Please don't fight or anything.. Remember, Dainsleif, Zhongli and Neuvillette are in charge." You reminded, the men in charge all nod their heads are your word, and they all glare at Childe. Because they knew he wouldn't listen.

Childe was blissfully unaware of the stares as he was busy giving you puppy dog eyes, all the while stepping closer towards you, hoping that it would work. Obviously it did not.

"Whatever you're trying to do, Childe, Isn't working. Okay bye bye! I'll be back at around five (5) pm." You wave your hand goodbye and pat Childe's head before clicking the lock on the doorknob and closed the door shut.

Childe groaned, leaning his head against the door. "They better come back at five exactly, or else.." He mumbled, clearly annoyed.

"Or else what ginger boy? You aren't going to do SHIT" Wanderer scoffs, smirking at the ginger-haired reaction as he knew he was now 100% pissed. Before Childe or Wanderer start anything Zhongli cleared his throat, his hand on his lips.

Zhongli glared at the both of them—not putting up with their antics and arguing.

Childe soon stormed off, mumbling under his breath along the lines of how "Y/n's always putting Zhongli in charge.. Why not me?! I'm very stern and a great person to put in charge..." And yadadada.

Heizou heaved a great and dramatic sigh, sinking down into his seat. He knew it was going to one long and boring day without you.

The walk from your home to your workplace was quite short really, it didn't take too long to reach your job area. And one of the best things about walking to the pastry shop is that it was calming, since the time you leave your home and walk to your destination is early in the morning (7 AM) it's very quiet.

There are no loud noises, no chitter chattering, absolutely nothing. Only the sounds of bird chirpings, the sounds of the ringing from bikes as they passed by, the soft and cold whooshing of the wind as the leaves shake, you were calmed by the sounds.

But today. Your stress levels were spiked up slightly, you were nervous about leaving all the 24 men men in your home, all alone (it's just you gone but still), without YOUR supervision!! But then again you had Zhongli, Dainsleif and Neuvillette to be in charge but you can't help but worry.

Like what if they break your favourite plate that costed $23 from Amazon?! What if Childe and Wanderer fight once again and knock everything over?! only the Lord can save them when you arrive home, that's for sure.

Before you knew it you were right in front of your bakery shop. Subconsciously you let out a sigh upon seeing the familiar sign of the shop. "Mrs. Bakery" it read. A smile reached your lips as you opened the front door, the sound of the wind chimes tinkling against one another.

Stepping foot into the warm shop, your eyes sparkled with joy as you noticed Mrs. Sam grinning and waving at you. "Welcome Y/n, I feel like it's been so long... Come, I've just prepared a batch of Caramel Donuts, come try one, I need your opinion."

You wasted no time and walked over to the back of the shop, placing your bag down and greeting Mr. Sam before trying the Donuts.

As you finished chowing down on the Donut you hummed in delight, nodding your head in acknowledgement. "Mmmh! Tastes really nice, boss! I don't know how you guys do it..."

"Oh—Please, no need to call me 'Boss', you know to call me Linda." The old woman chuckled, shaking her head playfully, you smiled back in response and began to put on your apron.

You begin to do your job, cleaning the tables, setting the new Donuts, Cakes and pastries in the display case before counting the money, checking in the emails and making sure you have all the pastries ready for the orders. Everything was okay and in order.

The time was now 8:30 AM, you got from behind the counter and walked up front to the door and turned the "CLOSED" sign around, it now read "OPEN", the store was now open for the day.

And as you all wait for your customers you lean against the counter, jus staring into the void when you suddenly felt someone nudge your arm, it was Charles, well, Mr. Sam.

"Oh, Charles! Is everything alright, do you need help with anything?" You asked, fixing your posture as he just caught you slacking off of work. Charles shook his head and laughed. "No No, I'm fine. You just look... troubled, are you okay?"

You shake your head, sighing. "No, I'm okay thank you. Just uh.. you know.. things." You replied with a sheepish smile, trying to make sure that the truth doesn't slip out of your mouth.

Charles hums as he stared out the door. "Oh! Look, our first customer. Be sure to welcome them!" He states before walking away. You straightened your back even more before smiling as you welcomed your first customer.

Work will surely get the nervousness off your mind and body.

(Now back at home,) After you left your home, Heizou, Gorou, Aether and Lyney groaned in defeat, what were they going to do now? You were gone.. there was nothing to do without you.

Thoma had already finished washing and drying the dishes as he now leaned against the couch, humming a soft tune. The silence was deafening, everybody was too quite, way too quite to the point where they could hear the birds chirping from out the window, the small droplets coming out of the tap as it landed on the wiped sink, the occasional sighs and sniffles from the men amongst them.

Yeah it was quiet.

Then all of the sudden Thoma perked up—giving Kaveh a fright. Kaveh, who was staring at Thoma as he sat on the couch, had jumped from the sudden movement of Thoma, his face was screaming "WHAT THE FUCK?!" but you know, he didn't actually scream that out loud.

Thoma smiles sheepishly and apologized, "sorry Kaveh, I didn't mean to.. but I have an idea to propose." Thoma states, looking around the room, Zhongli gave him a nod to continue.

"Wait wait wait—sorry to interrupt you but uh.. why do you sound so... professional?" Itto intercepts, staring at Thoma looking seriously dumbfounded. Thoma shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know, but anyway back to my idea, I say we should clean Y/n's house? I mean we're all bored and have nothing to do. Plus, I'm positive Y/n will be thankful for us cleaning her home."

Thoma's suggestion didn't sound so bad, the idea of cleaning? Not sp much. You being happy that your house is clean? Absolutely yes. The hums of agreement could be hear from around the living room.

"Hm.. that doesn't sound so bad, I guess, but I dibs not cleaning the bathroom OR unclogging the sink!" Heizou added, knowing that he beat majority of the men who also wanted to dibs not cleaning the bathroom and or unclogging the sink.

Many of the men groaned, wishing that maybe someone would take one for the team when Zhongli cleared his throat, immediately silencing everybody. "I say we all do it in groups. I will do it for you guys since I do not trust any of you doing it."

After many troubles, arguing and nasty stares, Zhongli decided that he, Ayato, Heizou and Aether would be a group and clean the living room.

Kaeya, Albedo, Diluc and Xiao were in group two, they were in charge of cleaning the bedrooms (and making sure that everything you placed was still in its' position).

Baizhu, Kazuha, Itto and Gorou were in group three, in charge of mopping, sweeping and vacuuming the floors.

Venti, Neuvillette, Wriothesley and Freminet were in group four, they were put to the job of dusting everything.

Childe, Dainsleif, Pantalone and Pierro were set into group five, they organized your wardrobe.

Capitano, Lyney, Cyno, Al-haitham, Kaveh, Dottore and Wanderer were in group six, they were in charge of... cleaning the toilet and bathroom.

And last but not least, Thoma, he was set to organizing the cabinets with the food, plates, utensils and all kitchenware. He was the only one who was happy with his position.

They all set off to the spots and began to clean, at first they didn't enjoy cleaning (other than Thoma, Aether, Zhongli, Neuvillette, Wriothesley and Lyney) but over time they enjoyed it, it was therapeutic and gave them a sense of pride when they see how much they cleaned.

And thankfully, no vases or anything fragile fell and or broke, everything was all well and clean as the men made sure to be extra careful around your most prized possessions.

While they all cleaned, time seemed to have gone by fast, three (3) hours had already passed by the time everybody was done cleaning. "Oh my lord.. that was extremely tiring, I need water.." Lyney spoke breathlessly, wiping the sweat off of his forehead as he dragged his feet across the floor to the kitchen.

Unlike some other men who did not even sweat a drop and looked energetic (Diluc, Wriothesley, Itto and Childe), they all slumped on the couch, tired from all of their cleaning they were sure their muscles would grow after all the arm strength they used in scrubbing.

Lyney came back with with cans of soda and gave them all to everybody, as they all took it from Lyney's hand and on the coffee table they all thanked him and thanked the lord.

"Soda has never tasted any better..." Itto sighed after chugging the whole can before burping, loudly. Childe, along with the others groaned in annoyance and muttered under the breath.

"How disgusting.." "Why is he always burping?" "Does he have no shame?!"

Heizou looked up to the clock on the wall, the time read 10:45 AM. Heizou closed his eyes, taking in breaths as he thought about you coming through the door, finally finishing work.

There was still seven (7) hours left, and there was nothing to do but watch shows and sleep through the afternoon.

"That would be $7.50 thank you!" You said, reaching your hand out for him while smiling towards your regular customer. He always came every (opening) single day, you were always so thankful to his understanding and kind nature but he did sometimes creep you out.

Despite him always wearing a black hoodie that was always hanging on his face, you could always see his smile.

The man smiled in an unsettling way before nodding his head and handing you the money, you ignored the way his hands seemed to linger on yours for more than a second as he passes you the money.

"You look even better than usual, Y/n." The man whispers, your brows furrowed as you slightly leaned in closer. "I'm sorry?" You heard him just fine but the way he said it put you off, maybe your brain was wiring his words to sound weird?

"I—I mean you look amazing, today!" He stuttered, cheeks blushing a bright coral red. You smiled shyly and thanked him quietly, still not used to compliments.

Your gaze follows him as he walks off, sitting down at his usual seat as he looks down at the table. "Hello?" The voice of another customer caught your attention, your head snapped back as you quickly apologized and getting back to work.

A beautiful, brown haired woman who looked around your age began ordering her drink, you took everything down and gave her the price. "That'll be $5.90, anything else?" She shakes her head.

You expected her to move so that you could take the next customer but she didn't, her eyes shifted to the man you were talking to earlier before looking at you.

"That.. guy. Do you know him personally?" She asked quietly, leaning in closer. Your brows furrowed at her question. "... No, why?"

A sigh.

"I don't mean to come off as a stalker but.. For a couple of weeks now I've seen him coming to this shop and talking to you, stalking you, watching you as you worked and when you left. Please don't freak out—I just want you to know."

For a second your heart skipped a beat, you expected yourself to be afraid and you know, the usual scared emotions but for some reason you felt.. neutral? You would've never expected that him, your regular customer, to be your stalker.

The thought of him following you home, watching you work, watching you leave work made you feel uncomfortable, but you had to stay calm as the supposed stalker was in the room with you.

You nod your head slowly and took a deep breath, looking at the woman in her eyes. "Thank you for telling me, I'll... do something about it." The lady smiles apologetically and walks away, leaving you a few seconds to your thoughts before you were dragged right back into reality by the voice of your next customer.

All the while you were serving and taking the customers orders, you found yourself glancing at the man in black, the more you stare at him the more you noticed how suspicious he looked, the more unsettled and scared you felt, the pit in your lower stomach was filled with butterflies.

Your palms grew sweatier as everything became harder to concentrate on. Questions ran through your mind.

Was he really stalking you? Are you and that other woman overthinking it? But then why does he look so suspicious? Why was he always staring at you so.. greedily?

It got to the point where you couldn't even focus on your customers and answer their questions and orders. "Hello? Helloooo? Ugh are you even listening?" Was the only thing you could hear from your very annoying customer.

You placed your palm up, apologizing to the customer. "I—I'm sorry I need to go do something, I'll get another person wait.." You stated, your hand rubbing your temples as you walked off into the back of the shop to meet Mrs. Sam

Mrs. Sam noticed you walking into the room looking troubled. "Y/n, everything alright? Are the customers being rude?" She questioned, placing both of her hands on your shoulders—holding you steady.

"I'm.. I don't know, I don't feel good nor safe. Can I take a quick break? I'm so sorry—" You were cut off by Mrs. Sam as she shushes you.

"Never be sorry, Dear. Take as much time as you need I'll get Charles to do the job." You were thankful for her as she calls her husband over and explains the situation, he wasted no time getting out of the kitchen.

Time passed by as you sat down on a chair, just thinking about everything. "You know..." Mrs. Sam begun, washing the dishes, not even staring at you as she continues to speak.

"You can tell me anything, I'll try to help. If you don't feel safe you can go home you know? We are about you a lot."

Turning your head around you stared up at her before looking back down, sighing. "It's nothing Mrs. Sam, I don't feel safe walking home right now. D'you think you could walk me home today?"

Mrs. Sam hums, finishing up her washing before placing the plate on a dish rack. She puts her latex gloves away and faces towards you. "Why, of course, I don't mind."

A smile reached your lips as you felt a slightly bit better and safer.

—

Finally, it was 4:50 PM, you would be going home early as the couple allowed you too, this would mean that the shop would close 10 minutes earlier.

Fortunately there were no more customers by the time you were closing the shop—the supposed stalker had went away as well.

You made sure to count the money, wipe the tables, and make sure that all the pastries that weren't bought were put in the freezer. You turned the "OPEN" sigh around, signifying that the shop was now closed.

You grabbed your bag and checked that everything was inside before opening the door and holding it open for the old couple before closing and locking it after stepping out.

"Thank you for walking me home, I feel much better now!" You happily expressed, smiling towards the both of them. Charles chuckled and waved his hand.

"It's no worries, It has gotten quite dangerous nowadays you know.. I heard on the news last week that a young woman went missing in an alleyway near Hills St.."

You giggled as he rambled on about stories about him and his wife, they always made your day. Sooner or later you reached your home, you had totally forgotten about the 'stalker'.

After thanking them, you waved goodbye and unlocked the door, after hearing the click you turned the doorknob and pushed yourself inside.

As the men waited patiently for you to come home, the sound of the click of the doorknob was heard from the door. Everybody whipped their head towards the sound and immediately got up—as if they were ready to pounce on you (because they were).

The second Heizou saw your figure coming through the door he ran towards you and hugged you from behind, tightly. You haven't even closed and locked the door shut yet as he held you tightly with no plans of letting you go anytime soon.

"I missed you too, Heizou" You giggled, closing the door shut behind you before locking the door. "Oh, ow ow ow— Heizou you're hugging me really tightly-!"

Heizou apologized, but you knew he didn't mean it but you didn't mind. Before you knew it more people began to hug you really tightly. Gorou, Aether and Childe all hugged your body.

They felt so warm and this was just what you needed after a long and confusing day at work.

"You seemed tired, do you need to rest?" Ayato asked worriedly, pulling the men away from your body. You looked up to meet his gaze and sighed. "Yeah, I think I do." You muttered.

That was all that he needed to know before he swooped you off your feet, obviously spooking you as your eyes widened, your heart beat spiking up as your hands immediately gripped on his arm.

"Time to go sleep." Ayato states, bringing you to your room as the rest followed behind you. You groaned, too tired to protest. "But I feel icky, I need to go take a shower first."

Ayato hummed for a second before putting you down in front of the bathroom door, he opened the door and ushered you inside. "I'll get your clothes, just stay there.

You listened to his words as you waited for him to get your pajamas. After a couple of minutes he knocked on the door, as you opened it his hand poked through the crack of the door, a pair of clothes being handed to you.

You took the clothes as he quickly retracted his hand and closed the door.

After 20 minutes of taking a warm shower you slipped your clothes on—you felt so much better, more refreshed and clean. As you exited the bathroom you made your way to your bedroom, stepping inside you noticed that the fan was on, your blinds just rolled up slightly so that little sunlight seeped in, just the way you liked it.

Not only that but Tighnari was also in your room, tending to the plants on your desk. His ears twitched as he picked up the sounds of your footstep and your presence.

"Finished already? Well don't mind me I'm just taking care of your plants" He spoke in a soft tone, smiling at you. You hummed and made your way to your bed before flopping down, heaving a great, relaxed sigh.

Tighnari stopped in his tracks as his ear twitched once more, he turned his head to face you lying on your bed, looking exhausted yet relaxed from the shower.

Your eyes were closed shut when you felt the edge of your bed dipping, your eyes flickered open—you spotted Tighnari sitting on the edge of your bed, just staring at you, observing your face.

"Are you okay, Y/n? You seem exhausted. Was it work?" He questioned, his voice filled with worry. You thought about your answer for a second, you would've been fine if you had not known about your so-called 'stalker'.

But could you really tell him? You knew they (all the men) were overprotective of you and if you told Tighnari, he might tell everybody as well. And that would only cause more problems.

A faint sigh escaped your lips. "No.. I'm just a bit tired is all, don't worry about me." You replied, moving around in your bed and tucking yourself in.

Tighnari didn't respond after that, it was only silent.

"... I've noticed you've been looking at my ears a lot."

Your eyes widened at his sudden words. He wasn't lying. You've been thinking about their (Tighnari and Gorou) ears and tails for a while now, they just looked so soft.

A warmness spreads across your cheeks to your face as you nod your head, "well you're not wrong"

Tighnari blushed before clearing his throat, his eyes avoiding yours. "W—well if it makes you feel a bit better, you can touch them, I don't mind. It would be an honor to have my ears touched by you."

His words made you feel some type of way but you wasted no time and pat the spot beside you, you couldn't waste this opportunity.

Tighnari obeys, lying right beside you but just a bit lower than you, you slowly placed your hand on his soft, fluffy ears, making sure not to hurt them or rub them too hard.

All the while you looked between his ears and back at his face to see any signs of discomfort. Your breath hitched in your throat, amazed by how soft they were.

"So soft..." You mumbled softly—unable to stop yourself from touching his ears. Tighnari blushed at your words and closed his eyes, a shaky breath escaping his lips as his grip on the blanket tightened.

After a couple of minutes the drowsiness soon took over your body and eyelids as you fought to stay awake but to no avail. Your eyelids slowly but surely grew heavy and heavy, and before you knew it you were knocked out cold, your hand still laid on his ears.

Tighnari, too, fell asleep to your touch.

"Shhhhh! They're both asleep!" Kazuha shushed Childe who was complaining quite loudly about how he should be in the bed with you. Childe huffed and grumbled under his breath.

Soft snore escaped your mouth as you grumbled and flipped to your other side. "It's already 8, we should get to sleep as well." Neuvillette whispers, already settling down onto the mattress near your bed.

"That lucky bastard!" Wanderer scowls, glaring at Tighnari that slept peacefully on your bed, his ear twitched. Heizou rolled his eyes and began to tuck himself into the bed.

The rest went to the guest room and got ready to sleep. The sounds of the blankets rustling, people snoring, sighing and the sound of the fan was the only thing could be heard.

"Hey... guys?"

Dainsleif, Neuvillette, Cyno, Childe and the others hummed at Aether's question.

"Is it just me or was Y/n kind of off today? They seemed different I don't know why." Aether proposed, his voice was soft as he thought about you.

A chorus of hums and agreement were heard, and then it was silent again. "You think we should go visit Y/n at work? Maybe something happened to them."

Dainsleif sighed before responding. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea but... wouldn't that make us seem like creeps though? To Y/n I mean."

"Eh, not really, we're just visiting them to see if anything happened to them you know?" Childe explained, his arms and legs splayed out on the mattress of the bed, his arms hitting Gorou who groaned and turned his back towards him.

Well, at least they won't be bored the next day, just... one small thing that bothered them.

The unknown number who texted you just a couple minutes ago that read,

Messages

Mark Holey

hey, you looked ravishing today my love, i want to tell you something and i hope you feel the same way about me too, a couple weeks ago i...

note: RAHHHHHHHHHH I FINALLT FINISHED THISSS i just went with te flow and if you sent any suggestions they will be used in the next chapters!! i'll give credits as well dw <3

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TOUCH - MAFIA! BTS OT7 X EXPERIMENTED HUMAN F! READER [ FOUR ]

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summary: in daegu, bangtan convene at a secure location to strategize their mission of infiltrating a rival gang's club. with their plans set in motion, they embark on the operation, leading to a highly charged negotiation that quickly turns into a violent clash, demonstrating their deadly abilities. yoongi, employing ruthless tactics, extracts crucial information from the leader of the opposing gang. the shocking revelation uncovers a government weapons initiative, leaving the Bangtan members astonished and motivated to intervene. genre: mafia au | moderate? angst | romance | sci-fi | action | fluff

warnings: bullying, interrogation, guns, violence, slight mentions of blood… (also not proofread! sorry 😭)

pairings: mafia! bts ot7 x experimented human female! reader

word count: 7,884 (sincerely apologize it's not any longer than the previous ones)

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masterpost | three | four | five

You're dumbfounded in the face of the so-called artificial intelligence in front of you.

"Subject 007, your eyes are glowing; you have no need to fear me. I am at your disposal and command." Genesis tells you.

You blink, your gaze fixed on her. "Where… y-you from?"

"I'm a pocket-sized device constructed into a necklace. The necklace you're wearing around your neck right now." She answers.

You looked down at your necklace, that sat on top of your chest, and saw the purple led light emitting from the pendant, which displayed the three-dimensional woman you were chatting to. "M-mister created you?"

"That's correct" She affirms.

"W-why?"

"I was specifically made to be your companion by Doctor Hyon Kwan. He was concerned that exposing you to this unfamiliar environment may generate feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and helplessness." She explained electromechanically.

"W-what is an-nxiety… and-d o-other things?" You asked.

"Anxiety, noun—a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Loneliness, noun—sadness because one has no friends or company. Helplessness, noun—inability to defend oneself or to act effectively." She responds.

"In simpler terms, it would be a bad sad feeling for you."

"O-oh…" You paused before Genesis speaks again. "Subject 007, is there a reason you activated me? How may I be of assistance?"

"H-he locked-d me." You say.

"Yes, it appears you are in a supply closet." She responds. "Would you like me to conduct a room scan for an item that could assist you get out of here?"

You nod, disliking being in the dark of the confined space. "Understood, initiating the room scan…"

Genesis then generates another beam of led light, which quickly sweeps over the room. "Room scan complete. I've discovered a light switch on your left side about a meter away."

The artificial intelligence casts a purple light on the light switch, illuminating it. "Flick it upwards and you will be given light."

"O-okay." You whisper before, moving towards the light switch and following her instructions, resulting in the tiny room lighting up from the single light bulb above.

Your gaze now wanders across the room, taking in all of the cleaning items on the shelves. He had you trapped in the janitor's closet. Of course, you were oblivious of this.

"H-how do I-I get out?" You wondered.

"I also saw a lock from the outside, so you won't be able to leave from here. However, based on my calculations and human experience, if you draw attention in here, somebody might discover you and unlock the door for you to leave." She replies.

"W-what do I do?"

"Make noise, perhaps bang your fists on the door, and then wait." She answers.

You nod before heading to the door and banging your hands against the locked door. After a few strikes, you stopped and waited as Genesis advised.

A few seconds later, there is a faint sound of shuffling outside. Genesis glances at you. "Subject 007, my sensors detect the presence of another human behind the door."

"I must go before they find you." She stated.

"W-why?" You curiously tilt your head.

"Doctor Hyon Kwan ordered me to make myself visible solely to you when you call."

"H-how… do I call y-you?"

"Press on the pendant twice, just as you did before." She responds.

Then you heard a loud click from the door, indicating that someone was unlocking it and was about to enter. You then refocus your attention to Genesis, who is already staring at you. "I have to leave now, 007; I'm pleased I could assist; see you later."

"O-okay…" Your lips curled slightly upward.

When the door finally opens, you're greeted by a middle-aged man clutching a mop in one hand and keys in the other. He stares at you in confusion as the two of you stood unmoving parallel to one another. "…H-Hi…"

He clears his throat. "What are you doing in there, kid? This is the janitor's closet."

"Someone said-d i-it is cool p-place…" You try to explain.

He looks to be disappointed as he sighs. "Those brats tricked you, kid."

"Tricked…?" Your face scrunches in bewilderment.

"Yeah… They, uh, lied to you about it." He said. "Come on, get out of there, you'll be late for your first class."

The friendly middle-aged man guides you out of the tiny square room, and when you show him your class schedule, he goes with you to your assigned classroom.

You walked into the room just as the teacher was beginning her introduction to the students. As you entered, numerous sets of eyes were fixed on you. The female teacher was mid-sentence when you grabbed her attention with your presence. "Hello, you must be the new student this year—or rather, this rest of the year…"

You remained mute, unsure what to do, provoking the woman in business casual attire to cough. "What's your name, new student?"

"I'm 0…" You hesitated, recalling two of the seven men's words. No, that’s a number… A number makes you a subject, not a person.

Y/N, it’s simple, and it matches her-

"Y-Y/N." You make meek eye contact with the lady.

"Y/N, okay, why don't you introduce yourself to the class." She flashes you a little grin and motions for you to move to the front of the class.

You turn to face the students in the room, who are already staring at you. You lift your hand gingerly, waving to them.

"Tell us where you're from, and something you like to do." The teacher asks you.

"I-I don't k-know…" You react. It is true, though, that you lack the vocabulary necessary to adequately describe your past or even your interests. You haven't been out of that institution long enough to know or understand your dislikes and preferences for the world you've entered.

The classroom erupts in giggles and murmurs, and you can inadvertantly feel emotion waves of what you can only describe as a feeling that isn't necessarily bad, but you realize you didn't like it because it was the same feeling you would sense from all the workers in white long lab coats back at the facility, usually when you haven't done a good job.

It seemed like they were judging you or telling you that you didn't belong.

The teacher then hushes the class and meets your gaze, a sympathetic expression on her face. "That's all right. Go on and take your seat at one of the empty desks over there."

You felt someone nudge your shoulder as soon as you sat down at your allotted desk, per the teacher's instructions.

You perked a bit in your seat and peered around, an innocent interested expression on your face. You tilted your head when you saw a girl your age with huge Bambi-like eyes that reminded you of Jungkook, only hers were slightly slanted.

She squinted and looked you up and down. "I thought the distance was the issue, but it's just that you're ugly."

She snorts. "What is a girl like you doing with Bangtan?"

Your brows furrow in perplexity. "Bangtan? What's 'Bangtan'?"

The girl scoffs and blinks in disbelief. "Are you serious right now? "Are you just acting dumb or were you born dumb?"

She chuckles after her insulting remark. "They're only the most powerful and hottest guys in the nation, to be exact—"

"People who should not be associated with people like you." She looks at you with her eyes narrowed in disdain. "Stay away from them, do you hear me?"

"But—" You murmured carefully before being cut off by the teacher.

"Y/N-ssi, Yuri-ssi, do you have anything you'd like to share with the class?" Or should I go on?" Hands resting on her hips, the teacher asks in a scolding manner.

In stark contrast to the look she gave you, the girl, now known as Yuri, wears a false joyful grin on her face. "No, you may continue. Apologies."

School, as they termed it, is a terrifying experience for you throughout the day. It was evident that the other kids either thought you were odd and avoided you or were appalled by you for some reason and participated in making you feel unhappy for your presence.

You never understood why, though, because Jimin had said that you'd meet kids like you. When Jimin mentioned that to you, it felt like an appealing feeling, but now that you're in an educational environment among kids your age, it seems completely different. And it doesn't help that you have superhuman empathy to sense how they felt towards you.

When it was time for lunch, you followed earlier directions from the working adults on campus on how to get your lunch and where to sit. You were informed that you are free to move about campus and choose a spot to have your lunch.

Upon retrieving your meal, the other students' looks and murmurs began to overwhelm you, and due to your empathy abilities, you were feeling overstimulated as well. Therefore, you found yourself in an isolated area of campus away from the countless students in the cafeteria, unaware of the three strangers who were surreptitiously following you.

You pushed up against a nearby tree and slid down into a sitting posture, holding your lunch plate. You stared at the meal as you set the platter in front of you. The various components and side dishes quickly brought to remember Jin's cooking. You wondered if it tastes the same.

You then saw the utensils on the side of your lunch plate. Despite the fact that you'd been under Bangtan's roof for a few weeks, with Yoongi delivering your meals and "teaching" you how to use the utensils, you were still trying to get the hang of it. Since then, and even today, it's been a process of trial and error.

But once you start thinking about it, his words ring in your thoughts. "Weeks have passed, and you still can't manage something as basic as a spoon or chopsticks?"

"You've spent enough time watching to understand how to use it."

While still staring down at your meal, chopsticks, and spoon, you scrunch your face into a little pout of determination. Though you can't use it quite properly, you did learn that the spoon was easier for you. So you grabbed the metal spoon first, scooped the rice, and then used your hand to pick up the other part of the meal.

You took a second to process your first mouthful, and you came to the conclusion—Jin's food is better, you thought.

You were about to take your next bite of food when—swipe.

The three strangers who had trailed you earlier took your lunch tray from you with mocking smiles as they peered down at your crouched figure.

They giggled when they saw your stunned anxious, and perplexed eyes gazing up at them. "Aww, look at her, she looks like a little puppy, begging for scraps."

The girl with slanted bambi eyes gave you a cynical look as she bent down to your level. "She does look like one—Don't you?"

You stayed silent, uncertain how to reply to her. And you had a feeling that answering would just make matters worse. You learned that lesson the hard way, and despite being out of the facility, you remember not to make the same mistake twice. The trauma has been imprinted on you, and thanks to your superhuman empathy, you realize the emotions they're eliciting are negative. It scares you.

When she hears nothing from you, she scowls. And pokes your head angrily. "Ya, I'm talking to you."

"What are you? Deaf or mute?" She quips cynically.

Your pupils tremble when you make eye contact with her. "Um…I—"

The girl quickly grew agitated, releasing out a displeased sigh as she finally stood up. "Perhaps I should give you something to make you talk, huh—"

She chuckles and casts a sidelong glance at her two companions. "What do you guys think?"

"I very much think you should." They laugh along with her.

"And I believe I have the perfect solution, Yuri-ah." The girl handling your lunch tray makes a remark.

Yuri-ah grins slyly as she eyes your lunch plate in her friend's hands. "I like the way you're thinking."

She looks back at you with the same resentful gaze. "I seriously wonder why someone like you is here."

You kept your eyes aimed at the ground, too terrified to meet their gazes, but before you knew it, food bits and liquid were dropping from above you and onto your head, ruining your clothes.

Yuri and her two friends laughed at your misery, knowing you couldn't do anything about it. And they were right; you had no friends here and no one to back up you. You have no identity here, and they've taken great satisfaction and joy in making that abundantly clear to you.

Yuri grabbed the milk box and flung it squarely at your face, making you wince audibly, which only made her smile wider. "There, enjoy your scraps now, puppy—or, I believe the correct term is, bitch."

Her friends laughed and gave her a sick celebratory pat on the shoulder. But they were too focused on your torment to even notice a tall figure rapidly approaching you guys, after witnessing the entire exchange. "Ya!"

They all jumped at the booming shout, as did you, but your head was still lowered, not willing to risk raising your head any further. Yuri and the other girls looked in the direction of the voice, recognizing Haejoon. The most popular boy in school due to his outstanding athletic abilities and intelligence, not to mention he possessed a magnetic presence that drew people towards him effortlessly—every woman desired to be with him, and every man desired to be him. Despite his popularity, however, Haejoon had never formed any deep connections or friendships. He was always surrounded by acquaintances but remained a solitary soul, considering that he rarely interacts with other students.

Once he's within a reasonable distance of all four of you, he stares briefly at you (unbeknownst to you), then at Yuri and her party. He instantly frowned upon your condition. "Ya, are you crazy?!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He scolds them sternly.

"Haejoon oppa—" Yuri attempts to reconcile.

His fierce look, however, quickly silences her and forces the two to look elsewhere awkwardly. "What has she ever done to you?!"

"You don't u-understand- it's not what it looks like!" She whines high-pitched.

"Don't give me that nonsense--I've been watching you guys from afar since the beginning." He proceeds to pull something from his blazer pocket that seems to be a folded cloth. "And the only reason I came up to you now is because I was hoping at least one of you was mature enough to stop."

"But I guess I was wrong." He says glumly.

The girls kept quiet until Yuri opened her mouth tentatively. "But… Haejoon-oppa—"

"Shut up." He seethed. "Go, before something happens that you will all regret."

Their eyes widened and they raced away, frightened that Haejoon's statement might come true if they stayed a moment longer. He sighs and turns to you when he no longer sees their presence. He lowers himself to your level and looks at you sympathetically.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

Despite his ask, you persist in refusing to look up at him, but you timidly nod in response. His frown grows, sorrowful for you. "Here, let's get you cleaned up."

"I promise I won't hurt you." He says gently.

Your ears pricked up slightly when you heard those words finding immediate comfort in them. "Promise?" You reiterate, your head still unmoving.

He nods with a faint smile that you can't see. "I promise."

That's when you finally glance up at him, your eyes blurry. His expression softens at the sight of your face. "What's your name?"

"Y-Y/N." You answered quietly.

He smiles. "Y/N… What a pretty name."

"Pretty?" Your head tilted at the unfamiliar term.

He chuckles quietly. "Yeah, pretty."

"What does that mean?" You questioned innocently.

"O-oh, there are actually two meanings for it. The first is when you're referring to something or someone. And it typically refers to when something or someone is pleasing to the eye. The second is when you hear something that you enjoyed hearing. Like for me, I love the sound of your name, therefore I find it pretty."

You give a tiny smile. "O-oh, um, t-thank you."

"Of course. Let's get you inside and cleaned up." He carefully offered his hand, not wanting to startle you. You accepted his hand cautiously and he gently pulled you up with him.

Haejoon then walks you to the unisex restroom and begins dampening the white cloth in his hands under flowing water before going to work, with a welcoming smile urging you to trust him. He delicately wiped away the food and milk from your face with the smooth cloth, revealing the soft, delicate complexion beneath.

As he proceeded to clean you, he noticed how quiet you were. It occurred to him that you might not have had much exposure to words or social interactions. So he chose to talk thoughtfully and interact with you throughout the time using basic words and gestures.

Once your face was clean, he moved on to your clothes. The milk and food had leaked through the cloth, producing a foul odor. He unfastened his blazer and gently draped it over your shoulders. It was a little too big for your petite frame, but it was comfortable and warm.

Haejoon then remembered the buttoned shirt hanging in his locker nearby. He instantly went to get it and brought it back to you, offering it to you. You tentatively but gladly took it, your eyes conveying more emotion than your limited speech allowed.

Your appearance improved considerably once you put on the jacket and dress shirt. Haejoon smiled again, pleased with his attempts of helping you.

"Take your time in here. If you need any more help, I'll be waiting outside," He added, motioning to the door, and you nodded in understanding.

You emerged from the restroom a few minutes later looking much cleaner and more collected. You approached him slowly, dressed in his jacket and dress shirt.

When the bell sounded, signifying the end of lunch break, Haejoon took your hand in his and guided you through the crowded corridors. He led you around the corner and leaned towards you. "Hey, could you please give me your schedule paper, it looks like this?"

Your eyes focused on a piece of paper in his hands, emblazoned in black ink. You suddenly remembered that the boys had briefly stated that it was your daily schedule when they had brought you here earlier. You then dug into your book bag, which Jin had told you to carry, and took out the slightly crumpled piece of paper, which you handed to Haejoon.

He kindly takes it from you and reads it over. When he's finished reading it, a little smile breaks out. "You have me until the very last class."

He returns the paper to you, and you place it back in your bag. You gazed at him with a puzzled expression. He chuckles slightly. "That means I'll be with you for the rest of the day."

"O-oh."

"Hmm, so come with me. I'll lead you there." He says this as he tenderly re-grabs your hand.

As the afternoon progressed, the two of you moved on to the day's final lesson. When the teacher began rambling on about history, a student named Minjae couldn't resist making a snarky remark. "What's up with the charity case, Haejoon?" Got tired of hanging out with the popular crowd?"

Haejoon's eyes narrowed, but he suppressed his outburst. Instead, he mirrored Minjae's stare with a sly smile. "Well, Minjae, I suppose you wouldn't understand what it's like to care about someone other than yourself. Or is it, you will never know what it's like to be cared for?"

He shrugs nonchalantly. "The latter one could have fooled me."

The class bursts into snickers, and Minjae's cheeks flushed. Haejoon's remarks had struck a chord. But, while his response amused the class, Haejoon's attention swiftly returned to you, who sat opposite him, eyes wide with interest.

You scarcely spoke as you pointed to a pencil on his desk. "What's that?"

Haejoon grinned, figuring your knowledge of the modern world is as poor, but he doesn't mind. "It's a pencil."

He kindly explained using simple words and motions. "You use it to write with. See?" He picked up the pencil and scribbled something on a sheet of paper.

You stared in awe, a faint smile on your lips. Haejoon's heart warmed at your new discovery.

Throughout the rest of the day, you might say Haejoon served as your real guide, explaining the purpose and function of many common things. When you inquired about anything new, his explanations became more lively, and he quickly adjusted his approach with you, using short sentences and simple vocabulary to help you understand. And he immediately became enthralled by your inquisitiveness and the amazement in your eyes.

As the school day came to an end, Haejoon turned to you, his voice full of sincerity. "Y/N, in our language, we have a word called 'chingu'. It means 'friend.' I want to be your chingu, someone you can trust and rely on."

Your brows raised in childlike surprise. "Chingu… friend?"

Haejoon nodded. "Yes, friend. I want to be your friend."

Your lips curved into a smile. "O-Okay."

When the school day is done, Haejoon escorts you out of class and outside the school entrance, exactly where you need to be to wait for Sun-woo.

Haejoon tapped your shoulder as you silently searched for the car the boys had described to you. "It was nice meeting you today."

"Let's continue this, Y/N-ah." Haejoon stated, his voice full of genuineness, as he extended his hands for a handshake.

You tilt your head in confusion as you glance down at his outstretched hand, then back up at him. He snorts at the innocuous gesture.

"This is called a handshake. It's a physical way of greeting friends." He shows you by guiding your hands through the motion.

You nod slowly as you try to make sense of the unfamiliar notion. He grins once more. "See you tomorrow Y/N-ah."

He starts walking away, waving at your dwindling form, as you wave back shyly.

You resumed looking for Sun-woo's car, unknowing that he had already arrived and had just exited the car to catch your attention.

He spots you immediately and beckons for you. "Y/N-ssi!"

Hearing your new name, your head whips in his way. Your face lights up when you see him. "Sunnie!"

As you approach him, he grins. "Good afternoon, Y/N-ssi."

"How was your first day of school?"

You hesitated for a moment to consider. "O…Okay…"

He nods, understanding that's all you can say to effectively express your emotions to the best of your ability. "Hm, that's good." And then takes your luggage, motioning you to get inside the car.

"S-sunnie…" You cast a reticent look up at him.

"Yes, Y/N-ssi."

"A-are you c-chin-gu?" You asked warily.

His brow arched in mild surprise; he hadn't expected such an abrupt question from you. "Oh? "May I ask as to why you are inquiring?"

You stopped again, uncertain of what to say, prompting Sun-woo to encourage you. "It's okay, Y/N-ssi, you can tell me anything."

"Um… A c-chin-gu… said is s-someone I trust… And t-they said you, I trust." You gulp. "You, c-chin-gu?"

Oh, you've made an acquaintance rather quickly, he thought. "Well, I could be your chingu, if you want."

"B-be chin-gu, please?" You give him a hopeful gaze.

And there's no way he could say no to it. You and he have only known each other for several weeks, just like the boys, but your innocent antics have won him over. You're only trying to understand a little bit about this big world you're in. Nonetheless, he nods. "Of course, I'll be your chingu, Y/N-ssi."

Meanwhile, in Daegu, the next day, after Bangtan arrived...

The seven men convened in an undetectable safehouse in an isolated locale outside the main town center of Daegu. The place appears abandoned, even creepy, which is why no one is likely to approach there, making it an ideal hideout for the gang.

They were all gathered around the table, their faces decorated with varying degrees of determination. Namjoon, the esteemed leader, leaned forward, his eyes calculating. He cleared his throat, commanding the group's attention.

"All right, everybody. We've entered unknown terrain here. This rival gang is up to something major, based on the scant tip we've been provided. The objective is simple: we need to gather information and figure out who is pulling the strings. What do we know about this club, Jin?"

Jin displays a blueprint map. "Not a lot, Namjoon. This place is infamous, but they've managed to keep it out of the spotlight until now. No digital trail, no connections. We're going in blindly, with limited resources."

Yoongi reclines in his chair, a wicked grin on his face. "Well, we're about to shed some light on their little operation, aren't we? How's the entry point looking?"

Jin points at the blueprint map. "We have a couple of options. The rear door is relatively unguarded, but the main entrance is where we'll locate the other gang's boss. Our best option is to split our forces and approach from both sides, creating a distraction to divert their focus away from us."

Hoseok grins arrogantly. "No problem, I can handle the distraction." I've been able to profile some of the guys during the day of the transport, and I know just the trick to keep them occupied. While you guys do your thing, I'll dance my way into their hearts."

Jimin rolled his eyes. "As charming as you are, hyung, I think they'll be more distracted by this."

Taehyung snorts. "Jimin's right. A show-stopper is what we need. That'll be enough to give Yoongi and Namjoon the opening they need."

Namjoon nods "Excellent. Jin-hyung, once we're inside, what's our next move?"

Jin: focuses on a particular spot on the blueprint. "Their secret meeting room is positioned on the upper floor of the club." That's where we'll find the leader. But we'll need a negotiating chip to convince them to cooperate. That's where Yoongi comes in."

The younger hums. "No problem, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." I'll extract the information we need from another of their low-ranking members. Once we have that, we'll offer it to their leader as a gesture of goodwill."

"And if they refuse to cooperate?" Jungkook leans forward, his eyes resolute.

"We have a backup plan. Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, you'll be the muscle. They'll regret running into us, we'll make sure of it. But only if we don't have any other options." The leader responded sharply.

For a brief time, the room became silent as the seriousness of their backup plan became apparent. Each member was aware of the potential ramifications and the depths to which they would plunge if their first plan failed.

"Our second plan is our last option, a show of force they will never forget. Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook, your abilities will be tested. But keep in mind that we only use violence when absolutely necessary." His tone was calculating and cold.

The master seducer nods, his gaze steadfast. "Understood, boss. We'll use our skills wisely."

With determination in his eyes, Taehyung leans forward as well. "We won't let it come to that if we can help it. Our aim is to learn more about them and how they operate, not to cause needless carnage."

"We'll be strategic and patient. Violence is a last choice, but if they force our hand, they'll later rue it." The voice of Jungkook was composed but firm.

"Good. We can't afford any mistakes. And once we have their attention, it's time to play our cards. What do we have to offer?" He says it rhetorically.

"Money. It's always a powerful motivator. We have a substantial sum of money that we can give as a show of cooperation. It'll pique their interest, and make them see the benefits of working with us instead of against us—"

"And once we've gotten what we need, we leave calmly and discreetly, leaving them to deal with the fallout." He says. "Lastly, Jin you will be our ears and eyes. Get into their security systems, disrupt their communications, and eliminate their element of surprise."

Jin nods and then folds the blueprint map, bringing their plan development to a close. It won't be easy, but we've faced bigger challenges before, and with our collective skills, we can turn this situation to our advantage."

Hours later...

As darkness fell over the city, shrouding the streets of Daegu, the seven members of the infamous mafia readied to carry out their plan. Each member wore tailored clothes, concealing their true identities behind a mask of authority and danger. The moon hovered high in the sky, a witness to the events that were about to take place.

The gang divided into two, a tactical choice that enhanced their chances of success. Jimin, the master seducer and show-stopper, took the lead, his steps silent and purposeful as he approached the Golden Dragons. With a charming smile and charismatic aura, he stepped inside, becoming the focal point of attention for the unsuspecting club-goers.

Meanwhile, Namjoon, Hoseok, Seokjin, Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jungkook skillfully navigated their way to the respective entrances. Their movements were methodical, blending perfectly into the darkness as they slid past any potential enemies' attentive eyes. As they made their way to the upper level, where the rival gang's leader awaited, the air was thick with expectancy.

When the mafia members arrived at their location, their eyes met in unspoken agreement. Their targeted victim, the head of the opposing gang, would soon discover the magnitude of his foolishness.

Jin types on his powerful encrypted tablet. "The surveillance system is operational and under my command. We have eyes on the target. Be prepared to initiate the negotiation."

Namjoon nods. "Understood. Let's get started."

Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok entered the meeting space as the perfect persons to put in front of any psychological warfare. A sense of unsaid anticipation pervaded the tense environment within. The rival gang's leader sat confidently, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Ah, the infamous mafia. I must admit that I had been awaiting your arrival. Is it boldness or stupidity for you to step into a lion's den." He sings.

Namjoon straightens up, a calm veneer concealing his actual feelings. "Your arrogance will be your downfall. We've come to make you an offer."

Hoseok steps closer, his gaze focused on the gang leader. "Cooperate with us, and we'll ensure your survival. We have resources that will help both of our organizations."

"Money, power, and protection. We can provide you with all of that and more..." Yoongi's eyes narrows.

The man chuckles. "You think you can intimidate me? I built this empire from the ground up. I'm not interested in your offers or threats. Leave now, before I change my mind and send my men after you."

The gang leader's arrogant approach infuriated the members. They had expected resistance, but they had hoped for a gleam of reason in their adversary's eyes. Their expressions remained steely, their commitment unwavering.

Bangtan's leader leaned forward, his voice trembling with controlled rage. "You underestimate us, and that will be the price you pay. We gave you the option to avoid the path of calamity, but you decided not to."

"Empty threats from desperate fools," says the gang leader. "Mark my words: you'll be sorry."

Namjoon gives him a menacing glare. "You have no idea the scope of our power, the lengths we are ready to go to preserve what is ours. You've made a fatal mistake."

The tension in the room had reached its climax. The sound of footsteps suddenly resonated from the passageways beyond. The gang leader's grin widened as he realized reinforcements had arrived to strengthen his position.

The doors swung open, revealing a number of members of the opposing gang, guns drawn and aimed straight at Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok. The gang leader delighted in his seeming advantage.

"Surrender immediately, and I might let you live, says the gang leader. When faced with a loaded gun, your power means nothing."

Yoongi smirks, eyes gleaming with defiance. "Do you think you're the first one to threaten us? We've stared death in the face countless times. We are no longer afraid of it."

"You've once again underestimated us. These weapons will not protect you from the enmity you have caused." His tone eerily calm.

As the tension grew, the room devolved into mayhem. Taehyung, and Jungkook rushed through the doors, sending shockwaves throughout the club. As clubgoers hurried for the exits, anxious for safety, the mood switched from conflict to terror.

"Everyone, leave now! The show is over!" Jimin shouts in a commanding tone.

Taehyung grins wickedly. "Time to clear the stage."

In the midst of the chaos, the remaining gang members on the lowest floor were faced by the mafia members' overwhelming strength and competence. Jungkook attacked numerous opponents at the same time, his quick movements a blur of accuracy as he launched a barrage of lethal attacks. Taehyung swung his blade with lethal precision, each move meant to disable and incapacitate his opponents. And Jimin, like a dancer in the middle of a conflict, took advantage of his surroundings, turning whatever thing within reach into a weapon against his opponents.

The fierce brawl splashed blood on the walls and floor, the crash of steel and bone reverberating throughout the room.

They moved with an artful savagery that had been refined through years of training. Each hit connected with crushing force, knocking their opponents to the ground.

The thud of bodies striking the ground and the metallic aroma of blood permeated the air as the struggle continued on. The three youngest battled with merciless efficiency, their resolve unyielding. They moved in perfect sync, anticipating each other's movements without uttering words. Their combined skills created a relentless assault that ripped through the remaining gang members with ruthless precision.

Jungkook's martial arts prowess was on full show. He avoided attacks with ease and returned with lightning-fast kicks and punches, his motions smooth and deadly. Three gang members converged on him, but he matched their aggression with a fatal mix of punches and grapples. Under the attack, his opponents' corpses crashed to the ground in a symphony of agony.

Meanwhile, Taehyung displayed his proficiency with weaponry. His marksmanship was unsurpassed as he fired with remarkable accuracy with a pair of handguns. The sound of gunfire flooded the air as bullets struck their targets, incapacitating the gang members with pinpoint accuracy. Taehyung glided swiftly yet fatally, his aim perfect as he maneuvered through the mayhem.

Jimin, the epitome of elegance and deadly beauty, used his surroundings to his advantage. He moved through the fight with the ease of a dancer, sidestepping strikes while delivering powerful counterattacks. Every action was precise and controlled, and his attacks landed with such accuracy that his opponents were left reeling. He grabbed everything in his path—a shattered bottle, a chair leg—and transformed it into an extension of his own murderous prowess.

The blood spattered the floor, ruining the club's once-pristine surfaces. As the surviving gang members crumpled beneath the attack, groans of anguish filled the atmosphere. The room had turned into a battleground, with broken corpses and shattered illusions of authority.

Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook quickly tied up the other gang members, assuring they presented no further threat. The increasing pandemonium downstairs drowned out their moans and barely aware pleadings for mercy.

The three combatants reunited and proceeded to the secret meeting place. Yoongi stood next to the bound gang leader, a wicked grin twisting his lips.

Yoongi sighs, acting to be disappointed. "It appears that the time for bargaining has passed. You've made your decision, and now you must live with the consequences."

"Please, spare me. I'll tell you everything you want to know." The poor man begs, with terror visible in his eyes.

Yoongi leans forward, his voice frightening. "It's too late for pleas and mercy. You should have considered the consequences before refusing our offer."

"No way. He doesn't deserve to die quickly. He deserves to suffer." As his tolerance dwindles, he wears a sickly grin on his face.

The gang leader's eyes widened in horror as he realized his fate. Yoongi approached a table covered in torture tools, a disturbing calm surrounding him.

"You should've taken our bribe and answered our questions. But now, piece by painful piece, we'll extract the truth from you." He hums softly, relishing the present moment.

As Yoongi's tactics unfurled, the room transformed into a theater of anguish and misery. The miserable screams of the gang leader pierced into the night, his body contorting with each agony inflicted on him. The blood poured freely, combining with the dread and desperation on his face.

Hoseok clicks his tongue, impatiently. “He's asking for a slow death, Oranyan. Simply give it to him.”

On the verge of death, the gang leader pled for mercy once again, divulging the information sought by the mafia members.

The gang leader gasps. "T-The receiver is anonymous. We were simply instructed to arrange the regular transport of particular m-materials…Promises of land and m-money…"

"What were the materials being used for?" Yoongi lowers himself to his level.

As he breaks into sobs, he shakes his head. "I-I don't know…"

Oranyan sighs once more, disappointed by his noncompliance. And shifts to get his next torture device. The man notices this and quickly panics. "Wait- Wait- Wait!"

Yoongi wrinkles his brow, anticipating his next words. "They-They…. claimed it was for some sort of g-government weaponry project."

"What." Hearing the man's remark, Namjoon perks up. "You're lying."

"N-no, I'm not. I s-swear…" He whimpers.

"Shadow Hacker."

"Yes, boss."

"You heard that right." Namjoon clarifies.

"Yeah, I did… We all did…." The mafia members had a secret accord once the information was collected. The work had been completed, and their verdict had been rendered. They showed no compassion when they killed the gang leader, the fires of their retribution devouring the club.

The flames lighted the sky in the blackness of the night, destroying all evidence of their existence. The club, once an oasis for criminals, was turned to ashes, a tribute to the seven mafia members' strength and savagery.

The early morning light filtered through the cracks in the thick drapes, giving a faint glow on the room where the seven mafia members had assembled. The air was strained, thick with incredulity, rage, and fear. The weight of the reality they had discovered rested on their shoulders as they sat around a long oak table, their faces marked with exhaustion and anxiety.

Namjoon leaned forward, his gaze riveted on Jin. "Jin-hyung, have you found anything?"

Jin exhaled heavily, the lack of sleep evident. "I scoured every corner of the internet and every database I could find—"

"—But there isn't anything. No digital footprint, no traces of this operation. It appears that they have completely covered up any evidence of themselves. He answered.

Yoongi, who was sitting next to Namjoon, chuckled bitterly. "Stealing medical supplies and tools for some weaponry project…"

"What kind of a sick game are they playing?"

Jimin's brow wrinkled further, lines of concern etched over his brow. "We've faced rival gangs, dealt with power-hungry criminals, but this… this is something else," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. "We're up against our own government and military."

Jungkook tightened his fists, his muscles stiff with anticipation. "We've never been prepared for something like this."

Hoseok slumped back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "This operation reeks of corruption."

Taehyung, usually the carefree member of the group, stared at his phone absentmindedly. As the device buzzed, indicating a new message, his countenance turned from interest to surprise. The other members noticed the interruption and turned to him with inquisitive looks.

"I asked Sun-woo to keep an eye on Y/N." He explained.

"Why-? The whole purpose of her being enrolled in school is so that Sun-woo won't have the burden of looking after her 24/7 while we're away." Hoseok furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Well, just like Jungkook said earlier, she's kind of in a very foreign environment with no knowledge of anything and everything she's encountered." Taehyung replied. "And have you seen kids nowadays? They can be ruthless."

Jimin playfully rolled his eyes. "What you talking about Tae? They all saw her walk in with all of us. I'm pretty sure they're not stupid enough to touch her."

"Hyung- I know you're not that old, but times have changed, if you noticed." Jungkook chuckles, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, the marksman softly smirks at the image of you—you're blissfully unaware, with an innocent wondering expression on your face. When his phone buzzed again, his smile vanished and his face twisted into a deep scowl.

He shoved his phone in their faces, showing them the photo, his annoyance mounting. "Who the fuck is this? And why is he so close to her?!"

Members exchanged amused and exasperated glances. Jimin humored and nudged Jungkook, murmuring, "Looks like Taehyung is getting jealous."

Yoongi rolled his eyes, his voice flat. "Why does it matter, anyway?"

"She's in school. She's bound to meet people. However, I'm surprised someone actually wants to interact with her." He muses sarcastically.

"Be nice, stop it." Jin hissed, smacking the back of Yoongi's head, causing the younger to scowl at the contact.

And Namjoon, Seokjin, and Hoseok, on the other hand, admonished Taehyung to concentrate on the more serious matter at hand. "We have a much bigger problem to deal with right now," Namjoon replied calmly but firmly.

"We need to stay focused."

The leader sat up straight and peered at his members' expressions. "So, what do we know so far?"

Jin cleared his throat, taking the lead in the discourse. Well, we know that whoever is behind this operation hired low-ranking gangs for the dirty work—"

"However, there is a strong possibility that they might be working with multiple groups."

Hoseok agrees with a nod. "And they've managed to buy their allegiance.

"Money and power talks, after all," he said, sounding irate.

Taehyung chuckled grimly, his voice tinged with bitterness. "It's the government, fucking government." "They have a plethora of resources at their disposal."

Jungkook interjected, his tone serious. "We can't just focus on the military. We need to consider political officials and various bases they could be using."

"Agreed." Namjoon says. "We should head back to headquarters, we can do more thorough research there. And—"

Suddenly, an explosion shattered the tranquility of the safe house. A bullet sped through the air, smashing the remaining intact window and scattering pieces of glass.

"Shit! Take cover!" Namjoon's words cut through the din as he darted behind a nearby overturned table, his tactical mind analyzing the situation swiftly.

The men were startled by the ear-piercing noise and the shards of glass flying around, their survival instincts promptly took over. Following their leader's orders, everyone dove for shelter, hiding behind overturned tables, containers, and whatever other solid item they could locate.

Bullets continued to pour down on them, cutting through the walls and creating a destructive symphony. The astringent aroma of gunpowder mingled with the adrenaline-fueled anxiety that dominated the room. The unidentified intruders had caught them off guard, but years of combat expertise and instinct kicked in, and the members took cover, establishing defensive positions.

Jungkook, famed for his ruthless and exceptionally quick fighting style, wasted no time. He charged forward, utilizing his incredible athleticism to avoid the oncoming bullets. His muscles rippled with force with each movement, his gaze bright and concentrated.

He covered the gap between himself and the nearest assailant in seconds, unleashing a barrage of annihilating strikes that left his opponents sprawled on the ground, gasping for air.

Jimin's fighting style was diametrically opposite Jungkook's raw savagery. His motions were smooth and exquisite, like a magnificently orchestrated ballet. He moved through the tumult with captivating grace, escaping assaults. Each attack he delivered was accurate, enhancing the impact and leaving his opponents stunned and confused.

Taehyung, who had depended on his firearms at first, found himself unarmed as the struggle heated up. But he refused to be caught off guard. He quickly grabbed the razor-sharp combat knife from his concealed sheath and switched into close-quarters battle.

As he whirled and spun, his fighting technique grew unexpectedly, the glitter of the blade a lethal blur. Despite the loss of his pistol, Taehyung kept fighting with such tenacity.

Hoseok, ever the kineticist and competent profiler, took advantage of his opponent's body language. His maneuvers were measured and purposeful, and he was always one step ahead of the game. He exploited flaws with dexterity, adopting unusual approaches that took his opponents off guard. His opponents were brought flying to the ground by a sequence of breakneck speed attacks and well-timed dodges, their expressions a mix of disbelief and defeat.

Yoongi's fighting technique stemmed from his wicked personality. He revered every encounter, deranged and merciless, relishing in the misery he inflicted. His strikes were barbaric, with a ferocity that went far beyond what was necessary. He didn't simply defeat his opponents; he ensured they felt lingering pain, a reminder of their helplessness. It was a dark side of him that the others embraced, recognizing that it had a place in their destructive world.

Seokjin, the group's tech support, and hacker, relied less on hand-to-hand combat but compensated with advanced technology. As the chaos unfurled, he rapidly drew from his armory, deploying a slew of non-lethal gadgets meant to disable rather than kill.

And as the siege ended, reality set in. This was not a random act of violence. It was a deliberate assault, well-planned and executed. Their adversary was competent, well-equipped, and most likely tied to the very forces they were working to expose.

"What the fuck just happened?" Jimin pants, wiping the blood from his lips.

"We're being watched, is what's happening." Namjoon answered gravely. "Eyes and ears are everywhere, and they've zeroed in on us."

"Fucking bastards." Yoongi mutters, frustratedly kicking a demolished chair that lay crooked.

The members exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with resolve and apprehension. They were well aware that this was only the beginning. The true war was still to come, a conflict against a foe they didn't completely comprehend.

The jigsaw pieces were gradually fitting together, but the complete image remained elusive. They also realized they were getting closer to unraveling a horrific web of secrets and lies.

"What do we do now?" Jungkook questions.

"We can't go back to headquarters just yet, that's for sure." Hoseok responds.

"Change of plans, gentlemen, we'll have to find a place to lay low for a while before we can move." Namjoon declares.

masterpost | three | four | five

don't know if this counts as a request but ..

do you think kaji is into dacryphilia ? him n suo gives me sadistic vibes , to be honest .. ><

HAHHAHAHA, my first thirst. Bless you for this. I love this, anon!

Look, I need you to get out of my brain, ok? Because, yes, especially Suo. I’m writing a Suo smut fic currently, and your headcanon fits perfectly because it has devolved into the intense level of intimacy that he shares with you. I don’t want to give too much away, but…

Content Warning: Fem!Reader x Hayato Suo, Fem!Reader x Ren Kaji, Dacryphilia, smut, overstimulation

—

Being loved by Hayato Suo is to be consumed by him. You better be someone who can handle the marathon of lovemaking that comes with him, or you’re going to feel like you just might fucking break. 

It’s another level of love and intimacy; his tongue in the most sordid of places, his fingers unforgiving as they stroke your core, which has grown far too sensitive long ago. Maybe he’s teasing you because that's his nature, or perhaps it’s the manifestation of his addiction to you because, god to honest truth, he can’t get enough of any part of you, so he needs to savor the experience. I believe it is the latter more so than the former. 

No one would blame you if hot tears formed at the corner of your eyes and started to pour down your cheeks as you beg him for release because fuck, Suo, it’s too much. 

And you know what Suo will do? He’ll smile in your face, kiss those big, cute tears away, and say he knows you can take it—his girl can take anything. And to no shock to you—because you’ve done this song and dance before—he’ll continue to flick his wrist as his fingers curl against that spongy spot of your cunt, stealing orgasm upon orgasm from you. I really hope you can handle it because it either stops when not being inside of your abused cunt is just too painful for him, or time necessitates a quickie. If those conditions aren’t met? Good luck, friend. 

Deep down, you know that seeing you cry is part of the experience for him. It’s just as arousing as seeing you come undone on his cock, so your whimpering and hiccuping through tears is an un(fortunate) reality of being intimate with Suo. 

—

Now Ren Kaji? I think in any other scenario where Kaji finds you crying, he’s seeing red and hunting down the fucker who made you cry.

If he makes you cry because he snaps at you after having a bad day? He feels like absolute shit. 

The exception? When he has you folded over on yourself in the mating press position. He’s so deep in your guts you swear you can taste the tip of his dick on your tongue—you aren’t thinking clearly to consider the complicated logistics of this, too busy being fucked stupid.

And so when something finally snaps in you, something that makes your body tremble, and your core tighten because he’s fucking you like he hates you, you feel warm streaks pour from your eyes, sliding through your hair because the position he has you in has gravity pulling them back. You’re crying so hard that everything in front of you, including Kaji, is a blur.

The first time this happened, he stopped, concerned that he had hurt you, but you assured him that this was anything but pain that you were experiencing, so now he’s familiar with making you a crying mess as he fucks you into the bed.

And, fuck, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t find it hot. Because you crying means he’s doing a good job—he’s giving it to you so good and knowing that strokes his ego an unbelievable amount. 

And fuck, you love his cock this much that you’re a crying mess? Damn, what is he going to do with you? He’ll grit his teeth and fuck you harder because the way you cry, the way you turn into a cute blubbering mess, makes him feel like a god, and he wants to see how many tears he can get out of you before either of you breaks.

—

Yeah, I think they’re into it.

Keep the thirsts coming!

Episode 1117 screenshot redraw :) playing around with some new brushes!

The original!

Here’s also an extra doodle of sabo from the Apple Store while my friend was buying a new laptop lmao. Yes I know they have procreate on the Apple Store iPads, no I will not stop making these in goodnotes. ALSO WHEN WAS SOMEONE GOING TO TELL ME THAT GOODNOTES ADDED AN EYEDROPPER TOOL WHAT

Question! Are Tage's tear ducts on the scarred side damaged? I noticed that he's only crying from the "good" eye!

They are!!!! I’m glad you noticed, good eye hehehehe

I imagine in this au his scar is a lil more fucked up because he didn’t have Iva’s hormone powers to help with healing and because he was floating in seawater for a decent length of time before being found. To be fair I haven’t really done in depth research on what a thermal optical burn would do to the tear ducts but it seems reasonable to believe that if the impact to his eye was severe enough to leave him blind then it would also be enough to make his tear ducts malfunction.

This also works with why he would wear a mask- to prevent irritants from getting into his eye and further complicating things, since he probably has Insane Dry Eye.

── 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐍

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: without a major, eye catching skill, you attempt to make up for it by doing everything for everyone all at once--the crew only notices when it all comes crashing down.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: strawhats x sanjissister!reader, minor zoro x reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 4.6k

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: reader is sanji's sister, reader is bad at emotions (same), first fic of college! woo!, injuries, stitches, blood, angst and comfort, requested

𝐎𝐏 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐈'𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐀

Being the Strawhat Boatswain was no easy task, but you held it with determination and pride. Even when your crew made the job more than difficult.

You took in a deep breath and let it out slowly; Someone had messed with your inventory. 

Again.

You stood in the storage room, wondering who had the gall to come and move things around. The cannonballs were no longer in the crate by the window, but behind many other crates of lantern oil. The box once full of toothbrushes and toothpaste was down to its last bottle when it should still be half full. And to top it all off, the medical supplies shelf was out of order. The bandages were at the bottom and the disinfectant was next to the gauze!

It was enough to make your skin crawl.

Taking another deep breath, you shook out your shoulders, went through five stages of grief, and accepted the mess at hand, swiping a roll of bandages from the shelf and leaving the room to deal with some other day. 

Inventory was a job you liked. You took your role seriously, always on top of what was needed or wanted, ensuring it was acquired. Day in and day out you thought of everyone else, desperate to be useful.

You took this responsibility so seriously that your own self-care had gotten lost in the mix of Luffy’s food requests, Nami’s financial ledgers, and the weekly task of inventory. You’d lost sleep and skipped meals in the name of keeping order. 

Because if you didn’t, who would?

It didn’t matter anyway. You loved taking care of everyone. It made you feel useful. And as someone not as skilled with a sword or as knowledgeable with maps, that was worth a million hours of (much needed) sleep.

So you yawned and pushed open the door to your and Nami’s shared room, finding her hunched over her makeshift crate desk, squinting through the lamplight. Her forearm was still bleeding, splotches of red seeping through the first bandage. 

“I’ll handle this,” you startled her. “You fix that.”

Nami hadn’t seemed to notice the condition of her injury, chuckling dismissively as she worked at redressing the wound. “Thanks. My eyes needed a rest.”

Your own eyes longed to rest as she said it, straining under stress and overwork to finish doing the math of how many pounds of sugar, flour, and grain you’d need for the next stretch at sea. You picked up the sheet and made to your own desk, plopping down.

You underlined the last calculation as Nami tied off her bandage. Leaning back in your chair, you threw down your pencil and rested your eyes, knowing there was more work to be done despite the dark hour. As if on cue, the potter pattering of small hooves led up to your door, followed by a soft knocking. A smile spread on your face instantly. “Come in, Doc.”

The reindeer peeked his antlers and eyes in first, stepping inside when all was clear. “Is it a bad time?”

Nami swiveled to straddle the back of her desk chair. “Never. What’s up?”

His eyes blinked up at you first. “It’s time for your physical. Do you want to do it now?”

Immediate sirens went off in your head. “Physical?”

“We’ve all had one,” Nami piped in. “It’s just to make sure we’re all healthy. Your turn.”

“Good one,” you chuckled dryly. “I don’t do check ups, Doc. Sorry.”

Chopper’s little brows met instantly, his hooves falling to his sides. You shifted around to avoid his narrowed gaze. “Y/N, it’s important. I need to know where your health is so I can plan for the future.”

“My health is perfeclty fine and if anything changes,” you laughed, “I’ll let you know, Chop. I’m fine.”

But Nami wasn’t giving you a grin when you turned to her for support, her lips downturned. “I dunno. If Chopper thinks he should check you out then—”

“I said I’m good,” you snapped more sharply, going on in a concerningly peppy tone, “If I need help, I’ll ask for it.”

The way Chopper defleated nearly had you taking it all back, but you stood your ground, trying to make him feel better with a smile. His ears only drooped further until Nami said, “Can you help me, actually? I need to redo this bandage.”

She raised a brow over Chopper’s shoulder, silently asking a question you didn’t catch, so you grinned and shrugged it off. Standing, you caled over your shoulder, “I’m seeing if anyone needs anything.”

Chopper heaved a sigh as the door shut behind you. Nami pat his head gently, lips pursed. “She’ll warm up to it. Give ‘er time.”

“I know,” Chopper sighed. “I’m just… getting worried, I guess.”

“What do you mean?”

Chopper thought back to the past few months he’d been on the crew. Overall, you didn’t exhibit any alarming behavior. You worked hard and cared deeply, that was all. But… Chopper couldn’t place it, but he wanted to make sure everything was really all right. “It’s nothing.”

Hopefully, you warmed up to check ups quickly, at least for his own sake.

જ ⁀ ➴

You'd been careless, or that's what you'd told everyone, at least.

The opposing pirate crew hadn't exactly caught the Straw Hats off guard. Nami was on watch, and she had a great record of raising alarm when needed. So when the enemy ship sidled up to the going merry and the dozen or so pirates jumped aboard, your crew was ready.

… You hadn't been at your best for days, maybe even weeks if you really admitted it. Sleep was so far away and your hunger was on this odd anxiety–induced strike. You barely felt real anymore, simply wandering through the ship doing various tasks that presented themselves, but never really taking time to breathe. 

So you weren't entirely surprised when a pirate caught you off guard, coming at you from behind and getting a nick at your side—not a nick, actually. His sword had marked a pretty deep gash at your waist, and even when you thought the flow of bleeding was done, you somehow had more to give.

In the aftermath of the fight, as much as you attempted to brush off the concerns of the others, your heaving breath and greenish complexion were giving away everything. Besides, Sanji had known something was up since the first time you'd told him you "weren't hungry enough for dinner."

So as the sun rose above the horizon and the cleaning of the Merry's deck was completed, there was no escaping your fate. The haze of night no longer concealed your wounds.

Usopp was the first to notice. His gaze caught your stuttering breaths and the very obvious grimace you gave when trying to haul a dead pirate over the railing. He took the weight of the body in seconds, tossing it over.

"You don't look too hot," he observed, to which you scoffed and flicked your hands in nonchalance.

"It's nothing I can't fix." But you hadn't realized just how much blood was soaking in the fabric of your shirt, and one turn of your body displayed the vast crimson to him. Usopp's sharp inhale caught your attention, and with a grunted snarl you griped, "What?"

By now, nami had walked past, her own eyes catching your shirt. You glanced down and cursed at the sight. "I'm fine, okay? It's not that bad—"

But Nami already called out, "Sanji!" 

You rolled your eyes, gut bubbling anxiously. "Relax, would you? It's just a scratch. Honestly, we should use supplies for worse wounds—"

The breathy gasp behind you was unmistakably your brother's, and you swiveled to find him staring at your abdomen. "Pip…”

"What?" you snapped, self-conscious as your crossed your arms.

Luffy and Zoro had joined the show as well, causing anxiety to burn a hole in your good sense.

Sanji couldn't move, couldn't say a word. As you fumed up at him, all he saw was his baby sister, her face growing paler by the second, the flutter of your eyes weak, the red staining your clothes growing larger—

And then it hit him: The battle had occurred several hours ago. His eyes snapped to meet yours. "How long have you been bleeding out?"

"Sanji—"

"Stop," he said, and you did, your jaw snapping back up. His eyes skimmed you over with a hundred different thoughts, before he broke the contact and gently approached you. “Let's get this cleaned up, yeah?"

He sounded so soft, so much like how he used to when you were just young enough to still get by not knowing how shit the world was. It made you flinch away from him, not at all fond of the warm feeling of vulnerability welling up inside. "Shove off, Sanji. You're shit at dressing wounds."

"I'll do it then," said Chopper, stepping forward. In the little reindeer’s eyes was far too much concern. It left your skin crawling.

"No." You backed away from them till your back hit the ship's side and tried to ignore how featherlight your head felt. "Don't waste good supplies on me. It's not worth it."

Sanji gaped. "... What?"

You sighed, frustrated, and made to storm back to your cabin to sulk away the pain seeping through your limbs, raising your head to snap at them again.

Immediately, you found Luffy's eyes locked on you, all your words falling flat. He had never been scary—he was Luffy—but right then, well, you were frightened by the look in his eyes; it was something like confusion mulled with frustration.

"Not worth it?" He echoed.

Glancing around for help and finding none, you shrugged.

Luffy blinked, and you felt like apologizing, but he spoke before you could. "It's not waste if it's used on you, Y/N."

"I..."

Sanji sighed like he was suddenly out of breath, catching your eye again. His eyes were shining, and not in the charming way. It was a heartbroken kind of look, and it ate away at your insides. "You didn't tell anyone... because you thought it wasn't worth it?"

"Well," you stammered. "I mean—it's not as bad as it looks."

You felt their stares—how each of them was looking at you with such pity it made you sick—and you cracked, sputtering. "Just back off! It's a little blood and I'll heal. Zoro did!"

The swordsman in question stiffened as you thrust a hand at him, his ever-deathly gaze boring into you. “Yeah, ‘cause I wasn't being a stubborn bitch about it."

You were in the middle of an eye roll when the headache started. Honestly, why did they care? It was you keeping up with their asses half the time. You didn't need the same treatment. You had your own shit handled.

You tried walking away, and you thought you'd had it handled, but then the world started spinning, and your side really did ache, and suddenly you were in sanji's arms as he gritted out your name.

You were tired, very tired, so you blinked up at him, and fell asleep.

As one can assume, the entire crew lost their shit.

જ ⁀ ➴

In the eight hours you were unconscious, nobody sat still. Someone was always pacing, arguing, tapping something—agitation just sat over the whole ship. 

Sanji would say those eight hours were the longest hours of his life. He would say it rivaled the eighty-five days on that damn rock. It rivaled everything, because it was you. His sister. 

He couldn’t bring himself to debrief all that you’d said and what it meant… but him mind brought him there anyway. Sanji beat himself up over and over. If only he’d noticed something was wrong—he should have noticed… which made him realize he hadn’t a clue what was wrong.

He was in the middle of cooking your favorite meal for when you woke up when the image of you fainting in a graceful arc crossed his mind, and how he’d lunged to catch you. Maybe it was just being in the kitchen, but it somewhat reminded him of when you were kids.

You, so much younger and frailer, were prancing atop the counteertops of the Baratie, playing the part of Red Leg Zeff with your boots covered in marinara. The real Zeff, not so Red Legged, battled you with a wooden spoon as he simultaneously fought of his growing fondness. You tripped over your own slimy boot laces and, ever the dramatic, used the opportunity to swan dive to the floor.

Yet you hadn’t made it to the floor, not even close. Sanji had you safe in his arms the second your foot slipped off the counter. When he scolded you for being reckless, you grinned and chirped, “I knew you’d catch me!”

Sanji had caught you again, but not fast enough this time. Lately, he was never fast enough to keep up with your ever-growing mind. Each day you got quicker on your feet, jumping to accomplish task after task after task—Sanji paused as he prepared the food. When was the last time he saw you take a break?

When you woke up, your head was anywhere but in your body, the sensations of the room around you slowly drifting back to you.

Groggy, you shuffled in the sheets, skin sticky with sweat. Your eyes adjusted to the brightness, fluttering open. You sat up groaning, blinking fully awake, only to pause. Sat on the stool across from your bed was Zoro, solemn as ever. He looked half asleep, but the sound of your rustling startled him awake, eyes lazily widening to take you in. 

He made to ask something, but you beat him to it, woozily wondering about the odd tick in his brow. "What's up with your face?"

His brows screwed together, but that look never left his eyes; you couldn't place what it was. "What d’you mean?"

"You look..." Your eyes flickered all over him, and you thought maybe, he looked relieved. "Nothing. Sorry. I feel weird."

“I’ll bet.” He leaned forward to glance you over, and you settled on yes, Zoro was definitely concerned. He'd never looked that way before, and the oddity had you leaning closer subconsciously. Zoro jerked back instantly, blinking quickly. "You feel better, though, right?”

You did a quick check of your body, sensing your limbs and tapping at the bandage covering your abdomen. “I think so.” 

Zoro nodded stiffly, eyes flickering all over the floor. “Want me to get Twirly? I mean—Sanji?"

Typically, you weren’t the transparent type, but your head wasn't where it should be, so all your thoughts suddenly came out as words. "Is he mad? He usually gets mad when I get hurt."

Zoro moved to kneel at your bedside when you started to prop yourself up, eyes glued to your lap. He watched you carefully. "I don't think he's mad at you."

"But I got hurt," you exasperated. "I wasn't watching my back and got—got skewered! He hates it when I get... skewered." You rubbed at your temples and let out a weak laugh, brain fog fading. "Am I making sense?"

You raised your gaze to find a hint of amusement on Zoro’s face, his lips tipped upward. "Barely, but I follow."

You felt at your side, wincing at the pricking pain of the wound and the bruise forming around it. Chopper had done a good job with the bandage, though it was about time to change it.

"Hey," he said, dragging your wandering attention back to him.

"Yeah?"

Zoro's face grew cold. "Don't ever pull that shit again. You get hurt, you tell someone. Even if you think it's a waste."

You averted your eyes. "Yeah. Cross my heart and shit."

He wasn't satisfied, but he leaned back and raked a hand through his hair, leaving it alone for now. That was when the door opened, and you felt his presence before you ever turned your face.

"Oh, God," Sanji gasped. He rushed to your side, falling to his knees and setting a hand on your shoulder, just staring at you like you weren't even real. He passed a hand over your hair and sighed like he had the weight of Atlas on him.

"You're okay," he said, not so much a question, more of a reassurance. Neither of you noticed when Zoro slipped out of the room, nor when he knocked into the doorframe as he went.

"I'm okay," you said.

Sanji's hugs had always been lethal, always too tight for comfort but too sweet to turn away—and this was no different. His arms were careful to avoid your side as he pulled you to him, your head finding a nook against his chest as his chin rested on your head, and he squeezed you tightly.

Silently, you let him hold you, remaining still against him. You felt his tears, but never heard them. You felt his grip on you like a brand, that same old discomfort crawling through your gut the longer the intimacy went on. But you withstood it, an odd kind of burn creeping up your throat.

You choked on a cough—no, you weren't coughing. You couldn't fool yourself into believing such a lie, not when your eyes slammed shut and forced streams of tears down your cheeks. Your hands clawed at his sleeves as a warbled cry claws its way from your lips. 

"You're worth everything," he whispered into your hair. "Oh, God. I really thought..."

"But I didn't." you calmed your ragged breaths. "I'm fine."

He nearly laughed. "Fine? Pipsqueak, you were out half the day!"

You pulled back with a grin. "Eh. Just a scratch."

Sanji shook his head, smiling, before it fell instantaneously. He held you by your shoulders, shaking you slightly. "Why would you... was it something I did? I would never—"

"No! No, it was nothing you did."

"Then why in hell would you try to walk off a wound that needed sixteen stitches!"

"I don't know!" you looked away. "I just... there was too much to do. Everyone would need things done after a battle like that. I wanted to be, I dunno, ready and able."

Sanji still didn't understand. "What things?"

"You know," you started. "Things." He gave you a look. You sighed. "Like... sometimes Zoro lets me polish his swords, and in exchange he'll clean the little nicks he claims won't give him infections. And I think Luffy's hat needed fixing. Usopp never organizes the canon balls right and it makes me nervous, so I always go back and redo it… And on top of all that someone went through my inventory."

He took you in for a moment, and you felt very, very transparent all of a sudden. "None of that is your responsibility alone."

"Yeah, but, who else is gonna do them? Everyone’s so busy doing their things. I don't have a thing, so I do everything, I guess."

Sanji tilted his head, brows knit. "You do too have a thing."

"I really don't, Sanji. I don't cook or kick people like you. I'm not amazing with swords or a slingshot. I can't navigate for shit or heal wounds... so I help. If I don't, I'm pretty much deadweight." In the following silence, you mumbled something you never thought you’d have the courage to say. “Face it. Luffy only invited me because I’m your sister.”

Perhaps you should go back to the Baratie, as much as the thought sickened you. Zeff would never turn you away, and he’d even be happy to have you back. 

“Not true.” You looked up, heart dropping at the sight of luffy in the doorway, the rest of the crew behind him. You shot Zoro an accusatory glare, wiping furiously at your face. Perfect. A waiting audience.

You rasped, “What?”

Luffy moved into the room, face sullen, his hat and curls shadowing his face. “I didn’t invite you because of Sanji.” Luffy ducked down to be eye level with you on the bed. “Honestly, I didn’t know you were related till a few days after you joined.”

“Oh.” Sniffling, you ducked your eyes. “Then why? I… I don’t contribute much of anything, and when I try I wind up passed out for half a day.”

Nami scoffed, “That wasn’t your fault.”

You scoffed right back. “I shouldn’t have left my back unguarded.”

“You shouldn’t have been skipping sleep,” Zoro rebuttled, eyes steely. “And meals.”

Swiping at your cheek again, “Screw you.” You picked at your nails and refused to look up at all costs. It was difficult with Luffy right in your face.

The captain had his brows screwed together. His eyes bore into you till he grew tired of your avoidance and lightly pushed at your shoulder. Your gaze flicked up to meet his, quick to glance at the wall over his shoulder. 

“Y/N,” he muttered, “We care about you. And you worried us.”

And just like that, all your work to keep the tears in crumbled; one rebellious tear escaped, leading a dangerous path down to your chin. “Yeah. I know.”

That got a whisper of a smile back on Luffy’s face, and his hand came to plop down on you shoulder. “You’re part of this crew because we need you.”

“For what?” you dared to scoff. Instantly, Luffy’s eyes narrowed further than you thought possible. 

He echoed your words back to you like they felt weird on his tongue, and gave no further reply, simply staring right through you. You had already shirvled into yourself by the time Sanji stepped in.

“I can never keep track of how much food we go through,” he said, nudging your shoulder, “but somehow you always know exactly what we need and how much. As a chef, you inventory is vital to me.”

“I’m convinced you’re a mind reader,” Usopp added on. “Still no clue how you knew I wanted marshmallows last week.”

You chuckled dryly, gaze still heavy, obviously hesitant to take them serious. Nami sighed deeply.

“Listen,” she started, moving to kneel in front of you. It was times like this Nami felt much older, when her eyes peered into yours and it felt like home (a home so distant you ached to remember it). “It doesn’t matter what you believe. You contribute so much to this crew, more than you need to most days.”

Chopper bobbed up beside her. “Yeah! You do everything and then you never let me look after you!” It was hard to focus on what he said when he was so cute, but somehow when he narrowed his eyes all angry like, he held your rapt attention. “Let me do my job, so you’re able to do yours!”

“On the topic,” Zoro grunted, “quit overworking yourself. When Usopp fucks up the canonballs let him fix it himself.”

“Hey!”

You barely withheld a smile. “But… there’s still so much I can’t do—”

Zoro rolled his eyes. “You wanna learn how to fight? I’ll teach you. Just—quit being stupid and sleep, dammit.” His cheeks dusted pink and his eyes darted to the wall, unable to catch your tentative expression.

Luffy squeezed your shoulder. “You’re our boatswain. Just like Nami is our navigator and Sanji is our cook. The only one questioning your position is you.”

You sniffled, looking right in his eyes, and something in what he said finally broke through. You couldn’t cook or fight or navigate—but you had a damn good memory, you kept the ship organized, you made sure no one ever wanted for anything. You were the Strawhat Boatswain. Surely that held some weight.

“Okay, yeah, I get it,” you muttered, palms pressing against your cheeks as you cleared your throat. Glancing around at them all, you shoved down the creeping feeling in your chest and grinned cheekily. “But whoever’s been screwing with the storage room better knock it off, or I’ll be up all night fixing their mess.”

Silence enveloped you as everyone glanced around for suspicion, when Chopper burst forth with watery eyes. “I’m sorry! Really sorry! I didn’t realize I messed it up, I—I—”

“Slow down,” you smiled. You caught Chopper’s hooves in your hands and squeezed them tight. “It’s okay. I’m not really upset.”

If it was anyone else, maybe the story would be different, but all you felt was warm affection staring down at Chopper. He nodded swiftly. “I’ll help you fix it! Don’t worry.”

“I’ll help too,” offered Nami, none too subtle as she jabbed her elbow in the crook of Luffy’s side. 

“Ow! What—Quit that!” Luffy nursed the sting in his side, brows screwed together. “Me too, I guess…”

“We all will,” Nami declared, eyes scanning the room in search of an objection. She found none, a pleased smile gracing her lips. “See? You don’t even need to ask. We want to help you. Remember that next time you feel like everything is on you.”

“All right,” you conceded warmly. That familiar affection tugged on your heartstrings. You slid your legs off the bed and made to stand when a hand clamped down on your shoulder and nearly knocked you down. “Sanji, let go.”

Your brother’s jaw was set and gaze resolved, scaring the stubbornness right out of you. “You need rest. We can fix the storage room tomorrow, Pipsqueak.”

“But—”

“You’re actively bleeding through your stitches,” he cut you off, grinning when you pouted. “Tomorrow. Your inventory isn’t going anywhere.”

You were left gaping at him, eyes scanning for someone on your side. Nami raised a brow. Zoro’s expression was blank. Usopp avoided your eye. Chopper looked so sure of himself that you didn’t even try. So instead, you puffed out a breath and readjusted yourself on the bed. 

“I expect everyone’s attendance tomorrow morning,” you grumbled.

Usopp gawked at you. “Morning?”

One glare was all it took and his jaw snapped back up. Your temples began to throb fiercely, the gradual increase in pressure suddenly erupting into a full ache. The base of your neck was sore too and your lash line weighed down in gentle flutters. Sanji’s hand on your shoulder kept you from floating away into the delirium, your gaze searching as it swept over all your friends.

That tight tendril of awkward affection curled around your heart, as it often did, and it felt as undesirable as always. But no one pressed for any outward expression of it; your friends simply stood in your midst, wearing there hearts on sleeves of various vulnerability, not a hint of expectation anywhere on their faces. 

Times like this, you thought maybe you could bare to ditch your fears. Then again, maybe not, but you dismissed the hope fondly. 

“All right,” Chopper grunted, cheeks puffed. “Everyone out. She needs lots of rest—starting now!”

You chuckled dryly as the little doctor shooed everyone away. Nami shot you a quick little wave and disapeared into the hall, Sanji squeezed your hand, and Usopp gave a brief thumbs up. Zoro was left holding the door, solemn as ever, and paused int he act of closing the door. He appeared between the door and the frame, not quite in yet not quite out either.

“I was serious,” he said lowly.

You tilted your head. “About overowkring myself?”

“Well, yeah, that,” he stammered. “I mean about learning to fight. I’ll teach you.”

You’re sure your eyes glimmered, heart thrumming unexpectedly. “Really?” He nodded, crossing his arms. “Sanji won’t like it.”

“He doesn’t like a lot of things.”

“Primarily you.”

A scant smirk, one born of mischief and misdeed, crept up his face. “Primarily me, yeah.”

You shook your head and fought back a smile. “I don’t have a sword.”

He paused long enough for you to notice. “I’ve got three.”

“I couldn’t,” you said instantly, jaw falling open. “Those’re important.”

Zoro rolled a shoulder and combed at his hair. “I trust you.”

He was gone before you’d finished gasping, eyes wide as the door swung shut in his wake, and unsure when a sudden heatwave had flooded the room.

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @100520s @murnsondock @kryscent